Session 4

SESSION 3
1. Vocabulary
2. Practice: Inequality and conflict—some good news
Sep 2021 SESSION 4 1

1
1. VOCABULARY

2. INEQUALITY AND CONFLICT—SOME GOOD NEWS
DR. HÅVARD MOKLEIV NYGÅRD|MARCH 29, 2018
Political violence, conflict, and inequality are

closely related, but not necessarily in the
ways that people think. Countries in which
there is great inequality between rich and
poor do not experience more violent conflict
than countries with less economic inequality.
In contrast, inequalities between groups
defined by religion, ethnicity, or regional
identities are linked to a significantly higher
risk of armed conflict. The good news is that
while income inequality between individuals
is increasing, identity group-based inequality
seems to be decreasing. This could lead to
less conflict in the future.
There has never been more inequality
When we talk about inequality, we

generally focus on differences between
individuals. This is also the type of
inequality that has been the starting point
for most existing research on this topic.
The well-known Gini index is exactly
such a measure of inequality between
individuals.

We have collated the best available data

from a number of countries in order to
measure levels of income inequality
between individuals. This provides us
with sound data that is comparable
across countries and goes back all the
way to the 1960s. Not surprisingly, we
find that during the period for which we
have data, the world has never
experienced greater economic inequality
than it does today.

Increasing economic inequality is

worrying for a number of reasons, but it
is not an important cause of armed
conflict. This is because armed conflict is
not an individual activity. Violent political
conflicts are fought between groups—
either between an organized group and
the state, or between organized identity
groups. Economic inequality in itself is
not a strong enough unifying factor to
bring together groups large enough to
rebel against the state.

Not all inequalities between groups are

problematic. In many countries, everyone
under the age of 18 is excluded from
participating in elections. This form of
group inequality is widely accepted.
Generation-based inequality of this kind
seldom leads to serious armed conflict,
but from time to time it contributes to
mobilizing support for political change. In
Norway, for instance, young people are
demanding that 16-year-olds get the right
to vote.

Group inequality generates conflict

The situation is more serious when
ethnic or religious affiliation determines
access to social, economic, or political
goods. In the United States, there was a
clear case of political group inequality
when African Americans were
systematically excluded from political
participation until the mid-1960s. In Syria,
Bashar al-Assad’s Alawite-dominated
regime excluded other groups in the
Syrian population from political influence.

Research has shown that such identity

group inequality is an important cause of
armed conflict. This is especially the
case when the relative position of identity
groups is changed—for instance, if a
group that has had access to political
power is suddenly excluded from political
participation. There is a significantly
higher risk of conflict in states that
exclude ethnic groups from political
power when those groups have
previously had the opportunity to
participate in political processes.
Group inequality is declining

We have collated data on identity group
inequality over time, including data on
inequalities in infant mortality between
different groups over time. Infant
mortality rates are a useful universal
measure of socioeconomic development.
As such, they are of particular interest for
researchers interested in inequality.

The disparities in rates of infant mortality

between different groups increased until
the start of the 1990s. Since then, these
disparities have decreased at the same
rate that infant mortality has declined
overall. The world has never experienced
such low overall rates of infant mortality
as it does today, and as far back as we
have data we can say that the world has
never seen such low levels of inequality
in infant mortality between different
identity groups.

Identity group inequality is a significant

cause of conflict. A decline in such
inequality will, if the trend continues, help
reduce the risk of conflict in the future.
This is encouraging news. But these
changes have not happened on their
own. A stronger focus on the new
Sustainable Development Goals and an
acknowledgement that it is important to
reduce identity group inequality will be
decisive for preventing conflicts and
sustaining peace.

Co authors on the background study on

which this blog is based are Karim
Bahgat, Gray Barrett, Kendra Dupuy,
Scott Gates, Solveig Hillesund, Siri Aas
Rustad, Håvard Strand, Henrik Urdal,
and Gudrun Østby, all researchers at the
Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO).
(https://blogs.worldbank.org/dev4peace/i
nequality-and-conflict-some-good-news)

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SESSION 3

2. Practice: Inequality and conflict—some good news

Sep 2021 SESSION 4 1

Sep 2021 SESSION 4 2

Political violence, conflict, and inequality are

There has never been more inequality

When we talk about inequality, we

Sep 2021 SESSION 4 4

We have collated the best available data

Sep 2021 SESSION 4 5

Increasing economic inequality is

Sep 2021 SESSION 4 6

Not all inequalities between groups are

Sep 2021 SESSION 4 7

Group inequality generates conflict

Sep 2021 SESSION 4 8

Research has shown that such identity

Group inequality is declining

Sep 2021 SESSION 4 10

The disparities in rates of infant mortality

Sep 2021 SESSION 4 11

Identity group inequality is a significant

Sep 2021 SESSION 4 12

Co authors on the background study on

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